Garry Shead is one of Australia’s most distinctive contemporary figurative painters, known for weaving complex allegories, Australian mythologies, and European art traditions into his canvases. Born in Sydney in 1942, Shead's career spans more than six decades of painting, printmaking, cartooning, and experimental filmmaking. His work bridges the gap between surrealism and vernacular Australian culture, capturing national identity through a deeply personal lens.
Understanding Shead's artistic brilliance requires looking past simple biographical outlines and examining how his iconic series—such as his explorations of D.H. Lawrence and the Ern Malley hoax—redefined modern Australian narrative art. His paintings hang in major institutions including the National Gallery of Australia, yet his visual vocabulary remains firmly rooted in bohemian counterculture and classical symbolism.
Early Life and the Sydney Underground
Shead's formal training took place at the National Art School in Sydney during the early 1960s. This period exposed him to a ferment of radical ideas, creative friendships, and anti-establishment movements. Alongside contemporaries like Martin Sharp, Shead edited underground publications such as The Arty Wild Oat and contributed biting political cartoons to Oz magazine, The Bulletin, and The Sydney Morning Herald.
During the mid-1960s, Shead participated in the famous activities of the Yellow House in Kings Cross alongside Brett Whiteley. This immersion in pop art, experimental film, and multimedia happenings shaped his refusal to stay confined to traditional painting constraints. He spent several years working as a scenic artist and film editor for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), an experience that taught him how to stage dramatic space and orchestrate complex narrative compositions across a flat surface.
Signature Themes and Narrative Series
Unlike abstract painters who prioritize pure form, Shead is primarily a storyteller. His canvases frequently revisit specific historical and literary figures, reinterpreting their lives through dreamlike, surrealist landscapes.
The D.H. Lawrence Paintings
In 1968, while participating in an expedition to the Sepik Highlands in Papua New Guinea, Shead encountered letters written by British author D.H. Lawrence during his time in Australia. This discovery sparked an obsession that culminated in his celebrated D.H. Lawrence Paintings series. Rather than illustrating historical facts, Shead imagined Lawrence as an outsider wandering through the harsh Australian bush, interacting with mythical brides, pagan figures, and native wildlife. These works examine the tension between repressed European sensibilities and the untamed Australian landscape.
The Ern Malley Series
Later in his career, Shead turned his attention to the Ern Malley literary hoax, Australia’s most famous modern poetry scandal. He produced a large body of work exploring the fictional poet's tragic creation, blending melancholy, satire, and visual poetry. By painting Malley into existence, Shead blurred the line between reality and invention, mirroring the original prank played by poets James McAuley and Harold Stewart.
Major Awards and Critical Recognition
Shead's technical mastery and narrative ambition have earned him Australia's most prestigious art accolades. In 1993, he won the Archibald Prize with his expressive portrait of his close friend and publisher Tom Thompson. His portraiture avoids rigid realism, instead capturing the psychological inner life and personal history of the sitter.
Years later, Shead shifted his focus toward drawing excellence, winning the Dobell Prize for Drawing in 2004 with his work Colloquy with John Keats. His works are held in the permanent collections of the National Gallery of Australia, state art galleries, and prominent private collections globally, cementing his status as a cornerstone of late-20th-century Australian art.
Artistic Style and Technique
Shead's aesthetic combines classical European figurative traditions—reminiscent of artists like Marc Chagall and Francisco Goya—with distinctly Australian light and iconography. Key elements of his style include:
- Surrealist Juxtaposition: Human figures, mythological beasts, birds, and landscapes collide in non-linear dream sequences.
- Literary Symbolism: Paintings are rarely standalone images; they function as chapters in ongoing visual narratives inspired by poetry, fiction, and biography.
- Rich Textures and Palette: Shead utilizes vibrant, earthy tones alongside deep blues and reds, creating glowing surfaces through layered oil paints and intricate printmaking techniques such as etching.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Garry Shead best known for?
Shead is best known for his narrative figurative paintings that explore Australian history, literature, and mythology. His series on D.H. Lawrence and his Archibald Prize-winning portrait of Tom Thompson stand as career-defining achievements.
Is Garry Shead still painting?
Yes. Shead continues to produce art from his studio in regional New South Wales, maintaining an active presence in the Australian contemporary art scene through exhibitions and printmaking.
Where can I view Garry Shead's artwork?
His works are represented in the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra, state galleries in Sydney and Melbourne, and commercial galleries specializing in established Australian masters.
What awards has Garry Shead won?
Major honors include the Young Contemporaries Prize (1967), the Archibald Prize (1993), and the Dobell Prize for Drawing (2004).
